Our Thrive-Ed Blog is a place to share powerful stories, opinions, events, research and recommendations to prompt conversation and action. This will lead to reinventing school so that all students, especially students of color, are experiencing a meaningful and rich education. We welcome your comments on the blogs. We not only want you to hear from us but to also hear from you.
A Student-Designed School is Remaking Education
School isn’t working. Teachers are experiencing burnout and leaving districts at unprecedented rates. The pandemic has exacerbated mental health crises for staff and students alike, and Minnesota students are still experiencing some of the worst racial opportunity gaps in the nation.
Value Relationships by Stopping the Cycle of Distrust
I was taught from an early age by my father not to trust white people. He told me not to let them in your house because they don’t like it when a black man is successful. That they will work at keeping the black man down and in their “place,” so you have to work harder than them for the same pay.
Finding Purpose and Joy with Thrive Ed
I am thrilled to be named executive director of Thrive Ed! As I embark on this role, I believe it’s important to share more about myself and my connection to Thrive Ed. I decided to elicit questions from CLS students, a Thrive Ed intern, and a Thrive Ed supporter! Who...
Qorsho Hassan: Education reform begins with our students.
https://sahanjournal.com/community-voices/qorsho-hassan-education-reform-begins-with-students-minnesota/
A Participant’s Review of Design2Thrive Studio – Restorative Practices
Thrive Ed, I wanted to let you know that we are still riding a high from our time with all of you last week. By accident, I keep referring to the “training” with you all as “a retreat” because that is really what it felt like. We can’t wait to only let the Restorative...
Listening to our Learners
This work is both significant and challenging, and no one is taking it lightly. However, in the quest to “get it right,” adults often forget a key source of wisdom and insight available to us every single day. Perhaps we see this source as a receptor of our refined assessment system, rather than as a collaborative partner in its design. Whatever the reason, maybe it is time we turned to this source—our students—and consulted them on decisions we are making.
Feeling Resistant to Restorative Justice? A look at the transformative power of student-led Restorative Justice
By Shannon Finnegan - alternative educator at the Hopkins Alternative Program in Hopkins, MN; engagement guide at Thrive Ed; and 2020 MN Teacher of the Year Finalist I vividly remember my reaction when I first discovered that the Brooklyn school that had just hired me...
George Floyd: The education system is the root of the problem (Part 2)
A call to action to combat oppression within the education system: What can we do? By Shannon Finnegan What can we do to dismantle systems of oppression in our schools? I hear (and ask) this question a lot, and while I don’t have all the answers, I do know that...
George Floyd: The Education System is the root of the problem (Part 1)
By Shannon Finnegan I am part of the problem.I am a white woman educator. And I am part of the problem.Three days ago as of writing this, George Floyd was murdered by 4 Minneapolis police officers less than a mile from my apartment as he said the words that have...